We Are Free

Scared Straight

Tuesday we wake up and Zac and Chloe are on their honeymoon. We are going school supply shopping today with the kids. We go back to work tomorrow. Halo is taking Emily and I am taking Andrew.
     They are so excited. We have their lists and have added a few things to them. They both need new backpacks and lunch boxes. We get dressed and ready. We go to the store and split up.
"I want a Spider-Man backpack." Andrew says.
"What ever floats your boat kid." I say.
"Can I go pick one out?" He asks me.
"I don't care." He runs over to the backpacks and grabs the one he likes the most he puts it in the cart and I finish with the school supplies. He gets some new shoes and a couple outfits. He gets a lunch box and a watch. We meet up with the girls and check out. We go out for dinner as well.
"I want to wear the dress I wore at the wedding." Emily says.
"I don't see a problem with that. You have to act like a lady though you don't want to show anyone more than they need to see." I tell her.
"Okay."
"Andrew what do you want to wear?" I ask him.
"I don't know I will figure it out when the time comes."
"That morning?"
"Yup." We laugh at him he acts just like me. We eat our dinner and go home. We separate the school supply bags and help them pack their backpacks. We hang them up and put their clothes in the washer.
"I know what we are doing for our 2 year." I say to Halo.
"What's that?" She asks me.
"You will see."
"Oh boy." I am taking her to a theater but not like the movies. It is going to be a play and it will be one of those theaters where you have to dress nice to go to it. She is in for a surprise.
"Do you remember prom?" She asks me.
"Of course." I say.
"I didn't have anyone to go with but I wanted to go so you took me."
"That was a good night. I guess we both went to prom."
"Yes we did."
"Until you hit the leg of the table in your heels and broke a couple toes." I say.
"Yeah that sucked."
"I carried you out to the car and called your mom. She met us at the hospital and brought you some regular clothes to wear. Then we went back to your place and I spent the night. Zac had the kids."
"That was a night." She says.
"I wanna go to prom."
"You can."
"Yay!" We finish with the school stuff and I do a school assignment then we lay the kids down for bed. Halo and I make some popcorn and put skittles and M&M's in it. We lay on the couch and watch a movie before going to bed. We have work tomorrow but what ever it is only a three day week.
*Wednesday*
We go to work and do what we have to do. We go home and Halo starts dinner. I get the kids baths and clean up the living room. Right as I finish my phone rings. I have a cup of water for Andrew in my hand but answer the phone before I bring it to him.
"Hello." I say.
"Hi is this Jason?" A person asks.
"Yeah."
"I am judge Heart and I am calling because I put your dad away a couple years ago. I am calling to tell you that he may get released." He says. I freeze in my tracks. "But if you, Halo, and Zac testify against him you can put him away for life with no chance of parol. I need you to testify against him."
      "Halo and I can do it but Zac isn't in town at the moment he won't be until next week. When is this hearing?"
     "It is Monday at 11:00 AM."
     "Yeah he can't make it but Halo and I can."
      "Okay, thank you." He hangs up and I freeze. He might get released I have to see him again. Sure I went and saw him with Zac but I quickly regretted it.
     I can't stand the thought of doing this again. I drop the glass of water and it splashes on the ground hitting me and Emily.
      "Jace. Jace. JACE!" She says.
      "Hu?" I snap out of my trance.
     "You dropped the cup." I look down and she was holding my shirt her socks were soaked and mine were to. Halo comes running in.
      "What happened?" She asks. She grabs a towel and I lean against the counter.
      "He might get released." I say.
      "What?" She stands up and looks at me.
      "We have to testify Monday or he will get released."  I feel sick about it I'm shaking and nauseas.
      "Sit down you look like you will pass out." She says.
      "Daddy is getting released?"  Emily says. She gets a look of pure terror on her face and starts crying.
      "No he isn't we won't let him. Go change your socks okay." Halo says.
      "Okay." She leaves the room. Halo gets me a bottle of water and gives Andrew a juice box. He leaves the room.
      "It will be okay." She says trying to make me feel better.
      "No it won't. I have to go see him again or he will hurt us. If he gets released he will come back and he will kill me. He won't miss this time and he will hurt them to. He will hurt you." I say.
      "No he won't we are going to go and we will put him away." She says.
      "You can't be sure." I am freaking out.
      "Yes I can." She hugs me and the room is spinning.  
      "I just need a minute to process this."
      "Okay." I think back to when it first started.
I was playing with Emily and I has been 3 months since my mom's death. My dad was acting strange. He would go to work but other then that he wouldn't do anything. I had to take care of them and make sure they got baths and everything.
    It is hard I am still going to school. I fear I may have to drop out of this gets any worse. It is my ninth grade year my first year of high school and I might never walk across that stage. He walks through the door. He was wobbling and had a look of anger on his face.
      "Dad are you okay?" I ask him.
      "Shut the hell up!" He says.
      "Dad what happened?" I sit up.
      "I SAID SHUT UP!" He screams. Emily starts crying and so does Andrew. I pick them up. Andrew needed a diaper change. He leaves the room and I take the kids upstairs. I put Emily in my bed.
     I grab a diaper and change Andrew's diaper. He calms down and stops crying. It is only about a year old and Emily is 3. She says ever day she misses mom. Andrew has no clue what a mom even is anymore. He just sees me doing it.
      "I don't like daddy!" Emily crosses her arms.
      "Don't say that he loves us he is just upset." I say, I don't even believe myself.
      "Aren't you?" She asks me.
      "Yeah."
      "Then why are you doing everything?" That takes me back.
      "What do you mean?"
      "Why do you have to change diapers and cook dinner? Why do you have to clean up the house and go to school?" She asks me. She knows that it isn't my job I'm just her big brother.
      "You don't need to worry about that it's my job."
     "I just want mommy." She says. She starts crying and I pick her up.
     "I know sweetie I know."
     "I want to sleep with you tonight."
     "Okay you can."
     "Will we be okay?"
     "Of course we will."
That broke my heart. She has said a lot of things that have broke my heart. All of them about our situation. I remember when I had to drop out of school.
     He was so drunk he don't even remember signing the papers for me to do so. I remember when I got the job at the auto repair shop. Zac worked there. So did Halo. They showed me the ropes and Dan helped so much.
     He watched them during the day for no charge just because he loved kids. They loved him in return and he got them something for their birthdays every year. I just couldn't believe it when he left.
     All the struggle has led me to this. I have a house, a fiancé, I'm going to school, they are in school. It just proves that things do get better but now they may get worse. I made a promise to my mom that I would protect them.
     I'm going to keep that promise. It isn't about me anymore it's also about them, Halo, Zac, Chloe, Zane, and Blake. He will find them and hurt them to. He will hurt anyone I care about and save me for last.
    I won't let my brothers, sister, sister in law, niece, nephew, fiancé, or myself go through that again. I am determined to put him away for good. I stand up and look at Halo. She looks at me.
     "He isn't going to win. If he wants this war he is going to get it."